City of Peterborough’s Community Planning Permit System Engagement Process Receives PlanON Award

The City of Peterborough’s education-first approach to community engagement in developing its Community Planning Permit System and By-law (CPP) has earned its Project Team a 2026 PlanON Public Education Award from the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI).

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Planning Staff of the City received the award, together with the City’s Consultant Team members, at OPPI’s PlanON Awards ceremony held at its annual conference on Thursday.

Peterborough's CPP By-law project, De-mystifying Growth and Decision-making – Peterborough’s Journey to Impactful Engagement, was one of two recipients of the 2026 PlanON Public Education Award. The award recognizes the City’s education-first approach to helping residents, Treaty Rights holders, the development community, and commenting agencies and departments understand the new development approvals process and help shape its development.

The City’s 50-year-old, 800-page Zoning By-law will be replaced with a modern Community Planning Permit (CPP) By-law. The new system implements the City’s new Official Plan and brings zoning, minor variances and site plan approvals together into one streamlined process, with a 45-day review timeline and delegated staff authority.

Recognizing the significant changes a CPPS would bring to how development applications are reviewed and approved, the City focused on empowering the community to provide informed feedback that directly shapes the by-law's regulations and how the City will build into the future.

Community feedback directly influenced the Draft and Final CPP By-law, including policies on maximum building heights, shadow studies, active frontages, and sustainability measures.

“The CPPS represents a significant change in how development applications are reviewed in Peterborough, and meaningful public engagement was essential to its success,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “This award recognizes the dedication of our planning team and the community members who took the time to learn, ask questions and provide thoughtful feedback. Their participation helped shape the final policies that will guide development in our city. The suggestion to deliver the CPPS was one of the recommendations from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing.”

“Our goal was to implement the community direction set out in the City’s Official Plan and to incorporate community values into the City’s new development approvals process and associated by-law regulations, ” said Brad Appleby, Director of Planning, Development and Urban Design for the City of Peterborough. “Rather than simply asking the community what they thought, we focused first on education, giving people the information they needed to provide meaningful input. The result was a stronger planning process and a CPP By-law that reflects what we heard from the community. I would like to extend a well-earned congratulations to the City’s planning team, as well as staff in GIS and our Indigenous Relations Advisor for their support in the project.”

Council passed the City’s CPPS on June 29, following almost two years of research and community engagement. It is designed to create a more streamlined, predictable and transparent development review process while supporting the City’s growth and long-term planning objectives.

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